Becoming Friends
by The-Fiction-Fangirl
Summary: It starts out six months after the aliens were supposedly defeated. The humans killed and destroyed most, and they figured the rest just left or died off. While at school, 16 year old Jesse Miller bumps into Ben Mason. Will this relationship grow into a friendship? Or even something more? What will happen to this pair when another threat dangles right above them?
1. All Over

**New story! Enjoy! R&R!**

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It had been six months since we defeated the aliens, and things were just beginning to settle down. School had started again, and things had begun to return to normal for most people. Except for some kids. The de-harnessed kids. They were really struggling to fit in. It was even worse if they still had their spikes.

"He's a freak," my friend Ashley said. I was standing at my locker with my two best friends beside me. I had been thinking, and didn't know what we were talking about.

"Who?" I asked, completely flustered.

"Who? Earth to Jesse. Ben Mason? That razorback at our school," Tiffany said to me.

"Oh. Yeah. Right. Him."

"Yeah. _Him_."

"What about him?"

"Have you not _seen _him? He's got freaking _spikes _in his back," Ashley practically yelled.

"It's not his fault, Ash. He was harnessed by the skitters. I'm sure he didn't want to be. Besides, he's fine now."

"Uh, no he isn't. How do you know? He could still be a danger. He's a half breed."

"Um, yeah. Right. Of course."

"Good. Now that we're all on the same page, we can start a new topic. Even _talking _about him creeps me out—last night's homework sucked."

"Which one?" Tiffany asked.

"Math," Ashley replied.

"Oh yeah. It was so stupid. God, I _hate _math."

"I know right! It—" Ash was cut off because of the warning bell. It was time for ninth period. "I gotta go. If I'm late again, Mrs. Barnes will _kill _me," she said, walking away.

Once she disappeared down the hall, Tiffany spoke up, as well. "Okay. Me, too. Talk to you later, Jess?"

"Yeah, Tiff. See you on the bus," I said.

"Alright! See ya, girl!"

"Bye," I yelled with a small wave.

Once she was gone, I headed down to art. The whole way there, I was thinking about Ben. He couldn't be that bad, could he? I mean, it's not like he _wanted _to be harnessed. It could've happened to anyone? Maybe he is still a threat?

Being caught up in my thoughts, I didn't notice the boy I was walking straight into. We collided, and went down. As I fell, I dropped my folder, pencil case, and book. When I looked up, I finally realized who I'd bumped into.

Ben Mason.

The freak.

The razorback.

"Oh. I'm sorry," he said, handing me my folder. I stared at him, and he dropped his gaze in embarrassment.

"No. It's fine. My fault. Sorry," I stammered out as I gathered the rest of my stuff.

He smiled. "Ben Mason," he said, holding out his hand. At this, I flinched. I immediately regretted it. His face became very downcast.

"I-I—" I tried to say something, but I couldn't speak because of the huge lump forming in my throat. Eventually, I just shut my mouth.

"You know what? Forget it. Sorry," he sad sadly. "Bye." And with that, he stood up and walked away.

For a few seconds, I sat on the floor and watched him walk away. When I got to the art room, I sat down feeling guilty. I shouldn't have flinched. It was weak, childish, and just outright rude. Maybe I could make it better. But what would I say?

_"Hey, Ben. I'm sorry I flinched. Your spikes and who you are scare me to death."_

That didn't sound like much of an apology.

As I sat through art class completely ignoring what my teacher was saying—it was something about which stroke to use when you paint, or something like that—I kept trying to think of a way to apologize. I felt sorry for the kid. He sat alone everyday at lunch. He sat as far away from everyone else by sitting in the back of the classroom. The teachers treated him differently. The kids _hated _him. It must have been a hard life.

Soon enough, forty-three minutes had passed and it was time to leave. I packed up my few belongings, and started out the door. On my way to homeroom, Ben cut me off. The kids saw, and made a huge circle away from us. When they passed, some of them caught their breaths.

"Hey. You dropped your pen," he said, handing me my kooky pen.

"Oh, uh, thanks," I replied quietly.

Apparently, Ashley and Tiffany saw me standing with Ben, and rushed over to help.

"Jess! Jesse! You alright?" Tiffany asked as she grabbed my shoulders and dragged me away. "Ugh, you don't want that," she said with disgust as she tossed my pen aside. "He _touched _it. It's probably contaminated."

"Back away from our friend, freak. You're just a razorback that everyone hates. Why don't you go crawl back to your alien friends. Oh wait, they aren't here anymore. Maybe you should join them," Ashley yelled as she shoved him backwards.

I opened mouth to speak, but I couldn't make any words come out. I could only watch as Ben backed away with pain in his eyes.

"Come on," Ashley said to me while grabbing my elbow. "Let's go."

As we walked away, I looked over my shoulder and saw Ben still standing there. Shoulders slumped, like he'd given up.

I felt horrible. But what was I supposed to do? Talking and befriending him would ruin my reputation. And what if he really was a danger? A half breed? I couldn't be friends with him. Could I?

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**What'd you think? I know it's not much yet. Please leave me a review. Tell me if you want me to continue! {OMG. I JUST RHYMED! "I'm a poet and I didn't know it!"!}**


	2. Home

**Alright. Second chapter! Please R&R! :DDD**

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My parents were Lori and Tyler Wilson. Well, my _current _parents. They were from the same militia regiment. They had fought together, and fallen in love. They were some of the survivors. After the war, they had found me along with some other survivors. They didn't have kids, and soon adopted me.

"Hey, Mom," I said as I walked through the door, flinging my backpack onto a chair.

"Hey, sweetie. How was school?" she asked from her place in the kitchen.

"It was…okay."

"Okay? Just okay? What happened? What's wrong?"

"Well, there's this kid. Ben Mason. He's—"

"Mason?" my mother interrupted.

"Yeah. You know him?"

"I knew his father. He was a great man. A good leader. A good father. Very organized, and ready. Your father and I knew him back when he was in office at Charleston," she said as she gazed off into space. It seemed like she was thinking of a memory. A good one at that, because she was smiling.

"What about his kids?"

"His kids. Ah, yes. Hal, Ben, and Matt."

"And?"

"_And_, they were great children."

"Oh."

"So, are you friends with Ben?"

"No. Not really."

"Why not?"

"Why not? He's a freak with spikes in his back!"

"Jesse!" my mother exclaimed as she walked over to my chair. "Honey," she said more gently as she placed her hands on my shoulders. "He's not a freak. When the invasion first started, Rebecca Mason—their mother and Tom's wife—died, and Ben got taken by the skitters when he was fourteen. Then he was harnessed. Eight months later, Hal and some other 2nd Mass member rescued him. They successfully removed his harness. Yes, he still has his spikes in his back. No, that does not make him a freak," she explained as she started to play with my hair. "He's a good kid. All he's ever wanted was to fit in. He did everything he could to make the overlords and hostile skitters pay for what they did to him. He was part of the resistance. Just like your father, me, and you. His participation in the war helped us _win_. You should give him a chance."

"Alright, Mom. I'll think about it," I said. "So, what's for dinner?" I asked, desperate to change the subject.

"Meatloaf and vegetables."

"Mmmm. Sounds great. Well, I'll be up in my room. Call me down when it's ready," I told my mother as I rose form my chair. I leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek, uttered a quick 'love you', and bolted up the stairs. When I reached my door, I pushed it opened and flopped on my bed. Then I sat up, and whipped out my cell phone.

**- Hey ~ J**

I texted to Ashley and Tiffany.

**- Hey guuurl! ~ A**

**- Hiya :) ~ T**

**- How are you? ~ A**

**- What? ~ J**

**- Ya kno, after the whole "Ben" incident? ~ A**

**- Oh, fine ~ J**

**- He's a total freakazoid ~ T**

**- Tell me about it. Like I said earlier those spikes creep the crap outta me! :( ~ A**

**- Well... ~ J**

**- What? ~ A**

**- Wat? ~ T**

**- It's just... ~ J**

**- Spit it out! :/ ~ A**

**- Havent u heard his story? ~ J**

**- He got harnessed. Now he's a freak razorback kid. What else is there that we need 2 kno? ~ T**

**- I mean, it's not like he chose to be harnessed. He got captured when he was 14 ~ J**

**- Why does this matter? ~ A**

**- Bc. Maybe he's not so bad... ~ J**

**- Jess! Have you gone mental! How can we trust him? What, u all "buddy-buddy" w/ him now? ~ T**

**- NO! Of course I still think he's a freak. It's just, my mom said that he helped us win the war. And that he wasn't a bad kid... ~ J**

**- Ur insane. He's got freaking SPIKES in his back! Remember that! SPIKES! ~ A**

**- Ya. Ya ik. Just saying ~ J**

**- Ok. Good. Cuz he's a freak through and through ~ T**

**- Ya. Totes. Well i gtg guys. Ttyl? ~ J**

**-Ya. Bi! Have fun! See ya at school on Mon. txt me l8r :) ~ T**

**- Yupp! Same as Tiff! And remember...spikes. ;) ~ A**

**- K. Bi guuuurls! 3 ~ J**

**- Byeeeeeeeeeeeee! xoxo ~ A**

**- See ya l8r honey bunch! :* ~ T**

I set my phone down onto the bedside table, and flopped back on my bed again. For a while, I lay on my queen size bed, thinking about Ben Mason. Although, I really didn't know _what _to think. I didn't know if I should _trust _him, or _avoid_ him. After a couple minutes, I passed out.

I woke up to see my father shaking me awake. "Hey, sweetheart. Dinner's ready."

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**Okay. So the " - (blahblahblah)" that's them texting. **

**And the " ~ (randomletter)" that's who it's from.**

**~ J - Jesse**

**~ A - Ashley**

**~ T - Tiffany**

**Just saying. So you know. Please leave me a review! I know it wasn't the best ending. I just thought I would stop there for this chapter. Please tell me how it was! :{D**


	3. Big News

**Hello, peeps. This is a short chapter. I'm really sorry about that. But R&R anyway please! :)**

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As my family of five sat at the table, we stayed silent. When my parents had found me with some other survivors, they didn't _just _adopt _me_. The group consisted of mostly children. It was very small, though. The three adults who had been taking care of us had died shortly after Lori and Tyler found us. There was just me, and two other kids. There was a young little girl—about nine years old. And another guy—seventeen years of age. Being the kind people that they were, my adoptive parents took us all in and gave us a new life. Just as it had been with me, the other two kids had also lost their parents.

"Hey, honey," My mom said to my father.

"Yeah?" he replied.

"You remember the Masons?"

"Mason, Mason, Mason! Oh yeah! Of course I do. They were a great family. What about them?"

"Well, it turns out that they live in the same district as us."

"Really?"

"It's true. Ben goes to school with Jesse. Dylan," she started, directing her attention to my older brother. "Do you know Hal?"

"I've seen him around. But I haven't really _talked _to him," he replied in his deep voice.

"You see?" my mother asked Dad.

"Yes. What about Hannah?" he said as he leaned over to the left of him to talk to my little sister. "Do you know a boy named Matt at your school?"

Hannah shrugged.

"Well," my father stated, leaning towards my mother. "He's probably there. Maybe he's a grade up or something. Or she just doesn't ever see him."

"Yes. Well, guess what." My mother told us all.

"What?" I asked.

"The fact that you all don't know the Masons is perfect!"

"Why?" Dylan questioned.

"Because. I've invited them all over for dinner tomorrow night," she said. As she spoke, my jaw dropped open. "Now you can get to know them! Dylan and Hal. Hannah and Matt. And Jesse and Ben! Isn't that great, everybody?"

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**What do you think of that? Will the kids like each other? How-especially-will Ben and Jesse react? Bear with me. I may be able to get another chapter of this up today, I don't know. But please leave reviews! XD**


	4. Dinner Plans

**Hey guys. Sorry, another short chapter. Please forgive meee! Enjoy! Please? Hopefully? R&R, too!**

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The night of the dinner seemed to arrive quickly. Before I knew it, the Masons would be at my house in half an hour.

"Jesse! Set the table, would you?" my mom called out from the kitchen as she made her salad.

"Yeah. Sure, Mom," I replied as I set down forks, knives, spoons, plates, and glasses at our dining room table.

"Dylan! Take this over to the table," my mom said again. I watched as my brother swooped in and brought over the plate of steaks, and mashed potatoes.

"Okay. Everyone go get dressed. And remember: not too fancy, but not casual," my mother reminded us. We all filed up the stairs, me at the top. Once I reached my room, I opened up my closet.

I ended up wearing a white shirt with a few ruffles and some lace. I also put on a purple, flowered skirt. I headed to the bathroom, brushed out my already curly hair, and put on some lip gloss. Then I slid a small, white bow into my hair.

"Come on down, kids! They'll be here any second!" my mother yelled from the bottom of the stairs. I slipped on my black flats, and walked down the stairs, my brother and sister behind me.

"Hey, Mom," I said.

"Oh, Jesse. Thank God. I need you to bring this salad to the table, sweetheart. Do you mind?"

I shook my head, and took the bowl from her. I walked over to the table, and set it down in the middle. Just as I brought my arms back, the doorbell rang.

"Jesse! Please get that! It's them!" my father called out from his place at the kitchen with my mother.

I sighed, and walked to the door. Once I opened it up, I saw the whole Mason family though I didn't know all of their names. There was a woman with long hair holding a bottle of wine.

"Come on in," I said. The woman, a man, and three kids walked in the door. Ben was last. We both intentionally averted each other's eyes.

"Hello! Long time no see!" my mother said as she walked over and shook the adults' hands.

"Very true. How are you, Lori?" the man asked.

"I'm fine, Tom. What about you? How are you two doing?" my mom replied.

"Great. Me and Anne are dong fine. I think a lot of us are, now that those pesky aliens are gone." Anne. Tom. Tom must have been the father. And Anne was the woman with the champagne. Speaking of which.

"Oh. Here. We brought this," the woman, Anne, said.

"Oh. Why thank you. This looks great," Mom said, taking the bottle. "Tyler, come over here."

My dad walked over and shook Tom's hand. "Hey, Tom. Haven't seen you in a long time. Sorry about that. Guess we didn't realize that you stayed in the same neighborhood. I genuinely feel very embarrassed," he said.

"It's nothing. Water under the bridge. Besides, we're here now. And we can catch up, and the kids can get to know each other," Tom replied.

"Of course. It'll be wonderful. We have a lot to catch up on. Come on. Sit down. Dinner's ready."

Both of our families sat down around the dining table. The way it ended up, I was sitting next to Ben, Dylan was next to Hal, Hannah was next to Matt, and then the two couples next to each other. I zoned out, and_ tuned_ out the conversation my parents were having with the Masons. It seemed like Ben did too, for the most part.

Matt and Hannah were really hitting it off. They were talking with each other—probably about some kids' show. Dylan and Hal seemed pretty invested in the conversation with the parents. Ben looked up from time to time, and when he did, I snuck a look at him. Or more, his spikes.

I just didn't understand. Something about the spikes seemed off. I mean, alien spikes? But then, I'd see Ben. And he _didn't_ seem off. He just seemed like a regular kid. That is, if you tried to forget about the metal things sticking out of his back. I could still see small bumps through his shirt and a few on his neck.

After we finished dinner, the parents suggested that we go up to our rooms with each other. That meant, Hannah and Matt, Dylan and Hal, and me and Ben.

I had a feeling this was not going to be good. I mean, how could it?

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**Alright. I promise, next chapter will have more Ben and Jesse in it. I just had to get through the dinner, and I wanted to do it fast. Leave reviews. Follow. Favorite. I don't know. Do ****_something_****. You don't want to just sit and read this like a lump. ;) But yeah, happy reviewing! :D**


	5. Heard

**Sorry. It's been a while. Please R&R! Tell me what you thought!**

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"So," I said. Me and Ben had been up in my room for only a few minutes, and we haven't really been talking. We've been looking around and avoiding eye contact with each other as we sat on my bed.

"So," Ben replied. "Uh, nice room."

"What? Oh! Yeah. Thanks. So, how do you like school?"

Oh, crap.

I tried to stop myself, but the words had already come out of my mouth. I wanted so much to take them back. How was school? Of course it wasn't good for him! People _hated _him. I _flinched _when he raised his arm to shake my hand. Ben looked at me with a sad look in his eyes.

Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap.

"Well…I guess…it's okay. At least no one is dying like they did before in the war," he said with a pained expression.

"Um, yeah! I guess you're right."

"Okay."

"Okay! So, uh, you don't have to answer this, but, uh, what was it like? You know, in the war? Being…you?" Crap. I did it again. This question was even _worse_. I really need to learn to shut up.

"Me? As in, me being a freak?"

"I didn't mean it like that. I—"

"No. It's fine. I know everyone thinks I'm a freak. Everyone at school. Even when we were fighting the war."

"Ben, I—"

'It's okay. What did you want to know?"

"Um," I stammered. "What was it like? Being harnessed?"

"Horrible. It felt like a hand clamped around your throat. You couldn't breathe. I had no control over my own actions. I hated it. Hated it. But then I was rescued. Even then, I didn't feel like I belonged. I had been a slave for the skitters and overlords for about eight months. My spikes never went away. I was simply a freak. I felt so out of place. I was a danger to the people I knew, so I left."

"Left…to where?"

"I went away. I fought with others like me."

"Didn't you end up ultimately helping win the war?"

"I guess you could say that."

"I see. What's it like now for you? Now that the war's over?"

"Different. But a little better, I guess. It's just that—" Ben stopped talking. He raised a hand to his temple, and scrunched his eyes shut.

"Ben?" I asked. I didn't understand. What was happening? "Ben, are you alright?"

He exhaled. "Yeah. Yeah, just a headache."

"Do you want anything? Water? Medicine? Because—"

"No. I'm fine. Thank you. Like I was saying—" he started again. But then he cried out in pain. He stood up with his hands rubbing his head, and then fell to the ground. He was screaming now.

"Help!" I yelled out. "Help! Ben needs help!"

Suddenly, Hal rushed in with Dylan right behind him. I also heard footsteps pounding up the stairs.

"What happened?" Hal asked as he bent down to help his brother. "Ben! Ben, listen to me! Focus! What's wrong?"

"Hal? Ben? What happened?" Tom said as he stood in the doorway with Anne clutching his arm.

"I don't know, Dad. Jesse?"

"Well, we were talking. And then he just fell to the ground clutching his—" I stopped speaking when I saw Ben getting up. "Ben!" I cried. "What happened? What _was _that?"

He didn't seem to acknowledge me. "Dad?" he asked.

"I'm here, son," Tom replied.

"It was them," Be said as he stood up. "I heard them. They're not gone. They're coming back."

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**I guess it wasn't the ****_best _****chapter. Sorry, guys. I'll try to do better. But review anyway, please! :$ :3**


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